Folding couches



f2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 4. 1953 IN VENTU fl/kmw 7% July 30, 1957 A. SZABO 2,800,951

FOLDING COUCHES Filed May 4. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States The invention relates to folding couches, as described in the present specification and shown in the accompanying drawings that form a part of the same.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a supporting structure which through a shifting of the body weight of the user can be instantly adjusted to any desired position between a straight backed position as a chair and an inclined position as a couch.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding couch which can be swung forwardly and backwardly through the movement of the body of the user.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable chair-couch which can be quickly and easily folded to occupy a very small space.

And generally the objects of the invention are to provide a readily adustable chair-couch which will provide comfort to the user in any of the positions to which it can be adjusted; which is of simple and durable construction; light in weight; attractive in appearance and which can be produced at reasonable cost.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel features of construction, arrangements and combinations of parts set out in the present specification and more particularly pointed out in the claims for novelty following.

In describing the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of my invention set up for use as a chair.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same structure with the body supporting structure tilted to a position between its vertical and horizontal positions.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device in its completely collapsed condition.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary outer side elevation showing one arm and portions of associated parts.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view looking in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawings, the device comprises two main parts, namely, the chassis indicated generally at A, and the body supporting part B which is swingingly mounted in the member A.

The chassis A, which is adapted to rest on the ground, comprises a substantially U-shaped device providing the rear legs 1 and 2 connected by the cross member 3; a substantially U-shaped member providing the front legs 4 and 5 and the connecting ground engaging member 6; and arms 7 and 8, to the respective rear ends of which latter are pivotally connected the rear legs 1 and 2 and to the front ends of which the front legs 4 and 5 are pivotally connected. The arms are preferably fiat along their top surfaces and have vertical flanges 9 depending downwardly at their inner sides and each arm has a short downwardly extending flange 10 at its outer side near its rear end providing with the opposed inner flange 3 bearings for a cross pin 11 on whichthe rear leg at.

atent ice the corresponding side of the device is pivoted to swing forwardly and backwardly in the collapsing of the device. The inner flange 9 of each arm is enlarged downwardly, as at 12, for the reception of a laterally extending pin 13 on which the end of the front leg of the corresponding side is pivoted for swinging movement.

The front and rear legs at each side are connected by rods 14 pivotally secured to the respective legs substantially midway of the length of the latter to hold the front and rear legs at each side of their predetermined degree of spread, and the front and rear legs at each side are braced against swinging movement by means of sectional brackets 15 collapsible in an upward directing only, the upper sections of said brackets at their upper ends being swingingly mounted on the pins 11 and at their lower ends being pivoted to the top ends of the lower sections and the lower ends of the lower sections being pivoted to the braces 14 in advance of the points of connection of the upper sections with the said pins.

It will be apparent that when the brackets 15 are extended and locked by the fingers 16 of the upper sections engaging the top edges of the lower sections below the pivot points the front and rear legs are held against pivotal movement but when the said brackets are broken at their joints the front and rear legs can be pivoted upwardly and rearwardly.

The body supporting part B consists of an inverted U- shaped device providing side members 18 and 19 and a cross member 20. The said side members are swingingly supported intermediate their length on the pins 11, respectively, which latter project inwardly beyond the flanges 9 and loosely enter the said members. The members 18 and 19 beyond their fulcrum points, in the direction of the cross member 20, provide the back frame of the chair when the body supporting structure is in one of its positions and, when the body supporting structure is inclined, provide the head end of the couch. The parts of the side members 18 and 19 below said points of support are slightly shorter than the depth of the chassis below the arms 7 and 8 and at their ends have pivotal connection at opposite sides of the device with the corresponding side arms 21 and 22 of a substantially U- shaped frame part 23, which latter in the condition of the device as a chair provides the foot rest and in the condition of the device as a couch provides the front half of the couch.

Rods 24 pivoted at their one ends to the flanges 9 at opposite sides of the device and depending downwardly midway of the sides of the device and at their lower ends being pivotally connected to the members 21 and 22, respectively, serve the purpose of holding the U-shaped member comprising the arms 21 and 22 and the cross piece 23 above the cross member 6 and allow the body supporting member B to swing on the pivots 11.

The normal position of the device is as a chair with the members 18 and 19 which provide the back frame standing upright and the frame part 23 including the arms 21 and 22 being in a horizontal position and the body supporting part B being spring influenced to this position by means of strong coil springs 25 extending lengthwise of the flanges of the arms 7 and 8. These springs are connected at their one ends to brackets 26, bolted or otherwise secured to the said flanges 9, located towards the front ends of the arms 7 and 8, respectively, and at their other ends are connected to trucks 27 located at opposite sides of the device and which are adapted to ride the outer vertical sides of the flanges 9, lengthwise of said flanges.

The trucks 27 each include spaced parallel bearing flanges between which are mounted rollers 28 and 29 in spaced relation to one another lengthwise of the chair against the cross bar of the'front member 23.

arms and these trucks are held with their rollers in firm engagement with the 'respective'fianges 'by means of pins or bolts 30 connected to the trucks between the rollers thereof .and passing .through slots -31 .intherespective 'chairarm 'flangesP9L "The .edges of thelcuts defining-the forwardendslo'fitheslots are so spaced-from the brackets membe'rs .18 and :18, respectively, and arepivotally conabovethechainarms; t a 3 .Itwill be .apparent .thatthe springs Z25 exert -a continuous pull onthe trucks 27 ;and thus tend ;to hold the nected tocollars 34- fixed to said'members somewhat pins 30 towards the forwardends of-the slots 31 so that said. springs exertaforward pull on'the members 18 and 19?.above the chair arms and thus; in :the absence of rearward pressure against the member, 20which is comprised in the back frame -;of the chair, the back .of the chair .willbeheld upright. Whensufiicient rearward and downward pressure is exerted against the back of the chair-to overcome the pull of the springs 25 the back will move downwardly inzanarc 'onits supporting pins, 7 1 1 and the arms 21 and22-willswingupwardly according to the extent of the rearward :pressure on the back, so that thebody supporting part canbe made to assume any desired position between thatofta 'chair and that of a couch. Immediately on the release of pressure against 7 the back'o'f -the device, .as by the shifting of the weight oftheiusenthe springslS will operate to draw the back upwardly and forwardly to again bring the device into position as a chair. During'the forward and backward movement ofthe springs the trucks27 will ride infianges 9 due to'thelinks 32 and 33 which compensate for. the changing direction of zmovement of the back in relation to the chair arms.

. 35*isthe support for the user and comprises a strip of canvas, or other strong, flexible material, secured at one-end tothe cross member at the head of the couch and at its otherIend secured to the front cross member of the .frame part 23. This supporting member 35 extends around "the top of a cross rod 36 extended betweenthe front legs 4 and 5 near the top of said legs and'under across rod-37 extended between the arms 21 and :22 'of. the front couch section 23 and is of such lengththat'in the inclination of the body supporting structuretoits'fully extended condition as a couch said member 35 will be drawn quite tight and thus provide a firm support for the body of the user, while in the con-t dition of the device as a chair the intermediate portion of member 35 .will sag rearwardly of the cross piece 36 just enough to provide a'comfortable seat.

In the use of the invention, assuming that the user is seated in the chair and wishes to assume a reclining position, it is simply necessary for him to lean backwardly and 'at the same time either push forwardly slightly on the arms 7 and 8 or press with the feet Either action, through the rearward pull on the trucks 27, will pull on the springs 25 and allow the back frame to pivot on thei pins'll-and the front cross bar to move forwardly and upwardly to a position beneath the cross member 36. The inclination of the body supporting structure can be controlled by the user. Forward movement of the body of the user aided by the forward pull of the springs 25 will cause the body supporting structure to return to itsposition as'a chair. In either position of the body supporting structure a gentle swinging movement of the body supporting structure can be obtained by simply shifting the'weight of the body or, by alternate exercise and release of pressure against the chair arms or the front cross .member .23. I a

in'Fig'u re 3 it is simply necessary to draw the back section of the couch forwardly and downwardly from its upright position so that the lower ends of the members 18 and 19 will move rearwardly and upwardly to a horizontal position between the chair arms 7 and 8 and the front section comprising the ,parallel arms 21 and 22 and the cross part at the front thereof will be moved rearwardly and upwardly to a positionrearwardly of the said arms and between the members 18 and 19. During the forward movement of the members "18 and 19 thepivotaL ly connected links 32 and Y33 will pivot at their several ends to allow said members to proceed downwardly. When the brackets '15 have been broken upwardly the front and rear leg assemblies can be swung rearwardly and upwardly so that the front and rear legs will lie in endwise relation to one another substantially parallel with, and outside of, thebody supporting structure.

The present .inventio provides in one-of its adjusted positions a comfortable chair wherein the .cross member 36 constitutes the front frame part of the seat and the. part of the flexible member 35 lying between the cross members 37 and 23, and drawn tight by the weight of the body on the seat'portion behind'the cross member 36,

provides a foot rest spaced from the ground. The degree of comfortand relaxation attainable by the use of this device with-the body supportingstructure in its inclined position will be found to be comparable .to that provided by so-called-contonrand posture devices ofthe highest qualitylin'that the body of the user will be cradled com-' fortably behind the crossmember36zwith the knees slightly raised .by said cross member and the lower limbs finding support in the forwardly inclined part of the fabric in:.advance .of said cross member and the feet supportedzbythefabric between the cross members 37 and While I have illustrated and described the present preferred formof construction'for carrying out my invention, this is capable of' variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a folding couch, a chassis comprising a pair of front legs, a:pair of rear legs, horizontal frame members connecting the fr'ont and rear legs at each side and a rigid cross rod connecting the front legs below said horizontal frame members and defining the front edge of a seat, a vertical head section swingingly' supported intermediate of its ends between said rear legs, a horizontal foot section having pivotal connection at its inner end with said head section below the points at which said head section is supported, means supporting said foot sectionfor forward and'backward swinging movement coincident with the inner end of said head section, a flexible body supporting member carried by said head and foot sections, and extending acrosssaid rigid cross rod said horizontal frame members having 'slots therethrough extending lengthwise thereof, wheeled members movable lengthwise of said horizontal frame members over said slots, pins secured at their one ends to said wheeled members and extending loosely through said slots, articulated link members at I each side pivoted at their one ends to the outer ends of members forward pull on said head section to influence said head section to an erect position.

'2. In a foldingcouch, a chassis comprising front and rear. :substantially U-shaped frame members providing front and rear legs at each side, horizontal frame members connecting the front and rear legs at each side and pivoted thereto, cross pins comprising the connections between said horizontal frame members and said rear legs at the respective sides, rigid bracing means connecting the front and rear legs at each side and pivotally connected thereto, articulated brackets at each side swingingly mounted at their one ends on said cross pins and at their other ends having pivotal connection with said rigid bracing means respectively, a rigid cross rod connecting the front legs below said horizontal frame members and defining the front edge of a seat, a head section comprising parallel side members swingingly supported intermediate of their ends between said rear legs and a cross member connecting said side members at the head end, a foot section comprising side members pivotally connected at their one ends to the respective inner ends of said head section and a cross member connecting the side members of said foot section at their forward ends, supporting means for said foot section swingingly depending from said horizontal frame members and having pivotal connection with the respective side members of said foot section intermediate of the ends of said foot section, said horizontal frame members having slots extending lengthwise thereof, trucks movable lengthwise of said horizontal frame members over said slots, pins secured at their one ends to said trucks and extending loosely through and beyond said slots, articulated links at each side connected at their one ends to the extending ends of said pins and at their other ends being pivotally connected to the respective side members of said head section above said horizontal frame members, and spring means anchored at their one ends to said horizontal frame members in advance of said trucks and at their other ends being connected to said trucks, said spring means exerting yielding forward pull on said trucks to cause through said pins and said links forward pull on said head section to influence said section to an erect position, and a flexible body supporting member extending between and connected to said cross members of said head and foot sections and lying across said rigid cross rod which connects said front legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,155,522 Adler Apr. 25, 1931 2,473,745 Di Renzo June 21, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 12000/33 Australia Apr. 3, 1934 174,973 Switzerland June 17, 1935 357,524 Germany Aug. 26, 1922 

